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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29280168">From Somewhere. It's Hazy.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMissCosmic/pseuds/LittleMissCosmic'>LittleMissCosmic</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>We're Not Normal People [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Constantine (TV), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aftermath of First Encounter, Banter, Humor, Magic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 04:35:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,641</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29280168</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMissCosmic/pseuds/LittleMissCosmic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Still hung up about his strange encounter at the pub, John is not too happy when he runs into a familiar face while scouring New York City.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>We're Not Normal People [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2135205</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>From Somewhere. It's Hazy.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi! Thank you to everyone who commented on my last fic (well, first fic lol) :D It really meant a lot to me! I'm hoping to put out at least 1 fic a month throughout this series, so stay tuned :p</p>
<p>BTW-- the next story is gonna finally feature more characters ;) I'm intending for this to be a full-on crossover, not just a "What If?" encounter :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>

<p></p><div>
  <p>It's been 2 weeks since his impromptu vacation began, and John was still chained to the bowels of New York. By then, the luster had begun to fade. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>The smell was horrendous, the traffic was unbearable, and the happy hour crowds were exhausting. Not to mention he was the tiniest bit paranoid that he would encounter that so-called "doctor" again at some point. But the bars had good whiskey. Not even amazing whiskey, just good whiskey. And sometimes he was willing to settle for good. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Well, today was the day he finally decided to lug his sorry arse out of this armpit deemed a city when out of nowhere, a hulking chunk of outworldly matter knocked him out of the street before running through the city. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Briefly thinking about leaving it to the wizard, John eventually decided that he could deal with it on his own and gave chase. Drawing attention was the last thing he wanted at the moment, but it was better than having the guilt of letting some kind of demon hurt innocent people weighing him down. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>The beast was unlike anything John had ever seen; at least 10 feet in height, a crimson visor for an eye, and limbs made out of the same regenerative matter as the rest of his body. He thought it would've at least been somewhat easy to knock it off its feet, the minute he had a spell on his tongue, the tables had turned on him. The demon swung viciously, sending John flying into a brick wall and tumbling to the ground as it made its escape.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>So now he was here, on the floor of some dirty New York alleyway, having just been defeated by a living fruitcake. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Bollocks," he spat out, forcing himself to sit up. Could this day get any worse? </p>
  <p></p>
  <div>
    <p>"In America, we prefer to say <em>'damn it.'</em>" </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>A(n unfortunately) familiar voice indirectly answered his question. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"But in New York, we also prefer a <em>'fucking hell!'</em> once in a while," Stephen Strange descended before him-- blue robes, red cloak, the whole shebang --and stuck out his hand. "Take your pick." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Oh great. The doctor was in. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>John scowled at him, attempting to suppress his humiliation as best as he could. As he grabbed the doctor's hand and lifted himself up, he droned, "Don't I know you...?"</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"From somewhere," he replied, sparing him memories from their last encounter. "It's hazy. Now, are you going to talk, or are you going to let me help you hunt down that Mindless One?</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"That Mindless <em>what</em>?" </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Mindless One. Minions from the Dark Dimension, often slipping through the cracks of their reality." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Dark Dimen-?" John inhaled deeply as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're just making shit up now, aren't you mate?" </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Is that the wounded pride talking, or...?" </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Fucking hell, he just didn't give up, did he? </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>John motioned to the New York streets with an impatient huff. "Just lead the way, will ya?"</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <hr/>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>The search through New York, while not brutal, was still suffocating. Between the combination of humidity, limping, and tension among the two of them, it was a high contender for the worst demon hunt in a long while. Stephen had led them down to the depths of the subway, a bright green glow illuminating from his hand. Now normally, John would've been irritated by the smell, but honestly? He shagged cunts that smelled worse than a metro. He'd live. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Though he tried to suppress the memories, the aggravating silence made the thoughts of their night together prod from the back of his mind. The warm liquor down his throat, their noisy conversation, their consistent banter...and one specific question he had forgotten to ask before Stephen flew away that morning. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"About that night..." he started, following Stephen in tandem as they traversed the Manhattan subway. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Oh, jeez," he scoffed, crinkling his nose. He refused to turn around, instead focusing on the bright emblem guiding their way. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"I just wanna ask; if you were so concerned with me getting drunk, why were you at a bar to begin with?" </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"First off, don't flatter yourself," Stephen threw his head over his shoulder. "I wasn't eyeing you--"</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>John smirked. "--never said you were."</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"You were making a <em>scene</em>. And second of all..." he paused thoughtfully. His pace began to slow. He swallowed as he gathered his explanation. "A friend asked me out. And they never showed up." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>John's eyes widened with embarrassed satisfaction. Well. He wasn't really expecting <em>that</em>. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Oh," he offered, already kicking himself for that fantastic response. "Well, sorry about that." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>He didn't get a reply. Couldn't blame the bloke. For a few more minutes, they were back to the excruciating, strained silence. It tainted the air among the stenches of decay and debris. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>John took a brief moment to contemplate him. So apparently he had a love life (not a successful one, at that), yet the way he talked was so pompous, so dramatic. He hadn't noticed him at the bar that night prior to their argument, but he could tell he was dressed in whatever toga he was wearing at the moment, so he didn't even dress casually. Or maybe this was casual for him. He <em>was</em> a "Master of the Mystic Arts" after all. Ugh. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Suddenly, as if their last conversation never happened, Stephen looked at John and shot him a brand new question. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"What did you mean when you said I'm not your type?" </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Oh, of bloody course. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"You really want to bring <em>that</em> up, of all things?" John asked, crossing his arms. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Truth be told, he didn't really mean it. He just wanted to piss Stephen off. But to be fair, he wasn't the worst looking guy he encountered at a bar. Somehow his hair was always neat and in the right place (sort of like Ray's), and the goatee definitely wasn't a bad touch. Oh right, and he towered over him by a good few inches or so. That was always a selling point. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>But either way, he wasn't attracted to him. Arrogance was attractive sometimes, but uptightness was a dealbreaker. The last thing he wanted up his ass was a stick. Especially after that night. Maybe if he just minded his own business they could've admired each other from afar and their paths would've never crossed. Oh, but alas. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Stephen hasn't responded for the past 10 seconds, though his self-satisfied silence said enough. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Oh, alright," John said. "I meant you're a fucking uptight <em>wanker</em> who doesn't know how to mind his own business." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>None of his insults pierced his demeanor at all. In fact, he looked like he was almost laughing at them. "And now I'm saving your life." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Oh please, I could save my own life if I knew what I was up against." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Ah! So you admit that you need me." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"For your brains. Don't flatter yourself, love." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"So I'm <em>'love'</em> now?" </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"<em>I call everyone--!</em>" John stopped himself, refusing to let the cycle continue. They were here to defeat a creature, not to quarrel like schoolchildren. "Forget it. I'm not gonna try to argue." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Guess we're just two peas in a pod, huh?" </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Staying true to his word, John didn't respond. And neither did Stephen. And though the tension between them was more aggravating than their argument, neither of them wanted to cave in. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Now what was interesting about Stephen (and what John didn't want to admit he almost enjoyed about him) was that he was quite possibly the first and only person he'd met in a long time to actually try and match him. Oh, he received his fair share of snark among the Legends obviously-- Mick wasn't exactly quiet about their rivalry, obviously --but he was surprised that Stephen was putting up with him for this long. Normally, he would've earned the cold shoulder by now had he been talking like this to, say, Nate. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Wait. Fuck-- was Stephen <em>enjoying this?</em> </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>He didn't have time to mull over the possibility he was turning Stephen on (not that he wanted to think about it), for soon the doctor paused in his tracks. John looked right ahead of him, immediately seeing a familiar, hulking creature with a ruby red visor was in his sights. And it seemed like the creature had noticed them as well, cause once Stephen had stopped, it turned its head and began trudging over in their direction. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Well, either that's a very large subway rat," John began, "or that's the Moronic One that almost gave me brain damage." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"<em>Mindless</em> One," Stephen corrected, jumping into the sky. "And <em>I'll</em> handle him."</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>As the Mindless One rushed closer towards John, he prepared himself for the worst. He'd learned the hard way that a simple blow could be the end for him, so he had to send it back quickly and easily. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>From the top of the tunnel, Stephen with a flick of his hand, an army of crimson shackles broke through the ground, restraining the monstrous beast temporarily. The way it wrestled against them, though, clued John in that he had little time to act. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>John raised his hands and seized the opportunity. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p><em>"Ratione de quo egressus es--"  </em>was all he managed to mutter before the restraints broke. Before he could even blink, he was sent flying face first to the ground, the sense of deja vu overpowering the agonizing pain by the littlest bit. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>He spat blood into the floor, smearing it across his face as he wiped his mouth. He struggled to focus his vision, only managing to make out the bleary silhouette floating through the air. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Hey, Constantine?" Stephen asked. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>John frowned as he lifted himself up. Any spell he could do in this state would only stun the creature at best. "You better have some bloody magnificent plan!" </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"I think we need some <em>space!</em>" </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Stephen motioned with his hands, a topaz ring appearing right beneath the Mindless One. John gaped as the Mindless One fell into the ring, before he came to his senses and jumped right in after him. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>The subway disappeared before his eyes, replaced with the familiar alleyway stained with his blood only hours beforehand. Even as he braced himself for the impact, John didn't expect the fall to be as agonizing as it was. A sickening crunch rang through his ears, pain shooting through his body in an instant. He panted heavily into the ground, forcing himself to his knees with his fists clenched in order to direct the spell. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"<em>Ratione de quo egressus es--</em>" he chanted, voice rasped. A glowing circle appeared, his eyes glowing in tandem. "<em>Invoco te impulit, carne solvatur ne redire!</em>" </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>The Mindless One rushed towards him again, but before it could land one final blow, it was encapsulated by a golden, glowing energy. A sigil appeared before it, summoning a portal to what John could only believe was the Dark Dimension, and it was finally plunged away. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>John fell back, an exhausted sigh escaping his lips. For a moment he believed the Earth would open up and swallow him whole. And maybe he wanted it to happen, because at least it was better than facing the doctor in this state. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>But of course, because he was still confined to this reality, when he opened his eyes, Stephen was looming over him with a smug grin. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"You're better than I expected," John admitted wearily, hoisting his weight onto his elbows. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"First time I heard a compliment from you," Stephen replied. "Or something close to it." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>John lifted a finger and pointed it towards him. "Are you getting off from this?" </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Stephen shrugged. "Not gonna answer that. Not gonna satisfy you." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>He tilted his head back with an annoyed sneer. "Yeah, you're getting off from this." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>He waited for another comeback-- an backhanded compliment, a retaliating comment, anything of the sort --but what he got instead was an arm outstretched as an offer. Stephen's smile had shifted from self-satisfied to genuine ease. John eyed it up and down like it was some sort of weapon, causing Stephen to roll his eyes. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Come <em>on</em>," he said, voice relaxed. "How about I help you up and treat you for a drink? I'm not as uptight as you think I am." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>John grabbed his arm, ready to get back up and out of this miniature garbage dump. Maybe he'd even take Stephen up on his offer. After all, he'd been yearning for a pint ever since he was slammed against the wall. But when the good doctor tried to help him up, a surge of pain skyrocketed through his body again, resulting in John letting out an anguished cry. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Stephen staggered back, the thought of John needing medical attention after everything finally crossing his mind. John bent his knee, attempting to stand up by himself, before realizing-- yup, his other leg was completely limp. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"...<em>Bollocks</em>." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Falling to his knees as well, Stephen scanned his leg closely, living up to his title for once. He pressed his hand into John's leg, only for him to yell again. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Yeah, I think I'm gonna have to take you to a hospital," he concluded, looking at John.  </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>John shook his head and practically threw himself back to the ground in exasperation. "Oh, just use a bloody healing spell on me and <em>don't</em> take me to a hospital." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <hr/>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>2 hours later, as John sat back resigned on his hospital cot, Stephen watched him with crossed arms. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Can't believe you thought I wouldn't take you to a hospital." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"It's just a sodding broken leg," he shot Stephen a glare. "I'll get better." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"In due time," Stephen rested his elbow on his knee, holding his chin with his hand. "I <em>could</em> use a spell to speed up the recovery process, but at the most you'll still be out of commission for a day or two. But hey, at least you have a cast now." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>John snorted. "Great! I saved New York and all I got was this bleeding cast. Why don't you write that on it?" </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Stephen smiled at him, and John had to convince himself it wasn't the least bit charming, but he ultimately shook his head. "I would, but I'm needed at the moment. I can open you a portal at that bar or a hotel, and we'll part ways." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Sounds magnificent," John tipped his head, hoping to be able to grab a few drinks before lugging him and his broken leg out of this cruddy town. He sat him, pushing himself off of the mattress and onto his uneasy legs. He refused to acknowledge the hands on his shoulders, making sure he didn't fall back and break his other leg. Still, it was nice to be cared for, he supposed. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Not that he needed that, or anything. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Stephen balanced John's weight onto his shoulder and, with his own free hand, motioned to open a portal to an empty pub. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Don't drink yourself to death tonight," he said. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>John smirked to himself. It was almost cute, the way he cared and all. <em>Almost</em> cute. "Can't promise anything, love."  </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>He felt a hand on his back (gently) push him through the portal. John struggled for balance, but eventually was able to turn around and salute Stephen off. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Hope to rarely see you again, Strange." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>As the portal closed, Stephen nodded his head in agreement. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Feeling's mutual, Constantine." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>The portal dissipated into thin air, leaving John alone in the empty tavern. He waited for the serotonin, the satisfaction to set it. But nothing came. He just stood there, staring at the bare space where the portal was, as if it were still there. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Sure, he left the battle with his life, and sure, he got a free trip to the bar. But something oddly felt <em>missing</em>. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>...Or maybe he just needed a drink. </p>
  </div>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So a few notes about John and Stephen's powers: </p>
<p>- I nerfed John a little bit, mainly because in the original Hellblazer he wasn't well-renowned for his physical abilities. He's not gonna be constantly pushed around, he'll still be able to pack a few punches, but in this series he's gonna be more reliant on magic than hand-to-hand combat. As for his magic, he's been described as a "jackass of all trades", so I'm hoping to explore more kinds of magic rather than spell-casting. </p>
<p>- As for Stephen, I view him to be at about half the level he was at in Infinity War/Endgame (more about that soon), where he's not at his full capabilities just yet, but he's working his way up there. I used Wong and Mordo as reference points, since the directors have stated that in the 2016 film they are superior to him in magic by the end, so here he's around the same level as them but still wouldn't have the obvious advantage in a duel. He is more experienced in hand-to-hand combat since he trained in martial arts at the Kamar-Taj, but at the same time his magical skillset will mainly involve spell-casting.<br/>- Basically, for what John lacks, Stephen makes up in, and vice-versa. </p>
<p>Also: if anyone is asking what it'd be like if these two were to battle each other...</p>
<p>My lips are sealed for now. </p>
<p>Stay tuned :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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